There are only 24 more shopping days before Santa comes, so it's time to start finding those perfect gifts for the athletes in your family.

Athletes can be hard to shop for. Choosing logical gift items such as running shoes, a bike saddle or cycling shorts is difficult because individual preferences for those items vary significantly from person to person.

One solution is gift cards. Instead of trying to guess at what fitness products your athletes would enjoy, snoop around and find out which local bike shop or running store they shop at, and give them gift cards from that business.

Many of us, however, prefer to wrap and give actual items for gifts. The list below provides some gift ideas ranging from low-cost stocking stuffers to more expensive items. Browse the vendor catalogs online to get ideas, then purchase the items from a local business if possible.

Sport-specific socks are always a great gift. Most runners prefer thin, low-cut socks that are made from synthetic wicking materials such as polyester, acrylic and CoolMax. For the cyclist on your list, think about getting them some cold-weather socks such as Pearl Izumi's Elite Wool Thermals. Cost: $7 to $25, pearlizumi.com.

A cold-weather cap for cycling and running is a must for winter workouts and always a good gift. A thin beanie made from a polyester or CoolMax material works well for either sport. These are lightweight enough for running, thin enough to fit well under a cycling helmet and will keep the head warm without being overly bulky. Cost: $12 to $25, runningwarehouse.com.

One nice gift that many people don't think of is a year's membership in the local cycling or running club. For those of you in San Angelo, that would be the San Angelo Bicycle Association (annual fee $25, $15 for military/student) and for runners the San Angelo Road Lizards ($20 per year). Competitive cyclists who want to hook up with a USA Cycling affiliate club here in West Texas might appreciate a membership in the Permian Basin Bicycling Association ($25 per year, pbbatx.com).

Most cyclist and runners love to read about the sports they enjoy, so a year's subscription to their favorite sports magazine makes a great gift. Take a look at runnersworld.com, triathlete.com, bicycling.com and velonews.com. The cost of a year's subscription will vary from $25 to $50 depending on the publication you select.

A supply of energy gels or bars is a gift that many athletes would appreciate. You'll have to snoop around a little to determine which brand and flavor your athlete prefers (individual tastes vary a lot). The cost will range from $20-$30 for a box of 24, http://shop.powerbar.com.

GPS sports watches are high on the wish list for many athletes. These range in cost from about $100 for small runner-oriented watches such as the Garmin Forerunner 10 to around $400 for the upscale Garmin FR910XT, which has features for cyclists, runners and swimmers. Visit dcrainmaker.com/2012/11/my-2012-sports-gadget-recommendations.html for an in-depth analysis of the various GPS units.

Cameras also are a good gift choice for athletes who like to capture video of races and workouts. The GoPro Hero video cameras can be configured with mounts for helmets, handlebars or other mounting locations. They cost around $200. Visit gopro.com for complete details.

An indoor trainer would make a great gift for the cyclist on your Christmas list. These are small foldable stands with resistance units that a normal bicycle mounts on so that cycling workouts can be done indoors. A basic no-frills magnetic trainer will cost about $100, while high-technology units such as the Computrainer, which measures power (watts) and interfaces with computers, can cost up to $1,800. Go to squidoo.com/best-indoor-bicycle-trainer for a review of some common indoor trainers.

A "workout vacation" trip to a cycling, running or triathlon camp would thrill most athletes. These vary in both length and price, so you'll need to do a good Internet search to see the various options. Here's an example for triathletes: coachtroy.com/products/item65.cfm.

The ultimate gift for your favorite athlete might be giving him/her a few months (or more) of professional coaching services. A good training plan that is developed and monitored by an experienced coach will almost always result in more performance improvement than buying high-tech equipment.

The cost for a coach will vary depending on the level of services desired. Visit rrca.org/find-a-coach (running), usacycling.org/coaches/search.php (cycling) or usatriathlon.org/audience/coaching/contents.aspx (triathlon) to search for licensed coaches in your area.

Ride On, San Angelo, and remember — it's time to make up that Christmas list for your athlete!

Bill Cullins is an old cyclist, slow runner, and former state Masters cyclocross champion. His column appears every Saturday. Contact him at bcullins@suddenlink.net.